MADE IN NYC

BUT HELPING THE WORLD GET CAPTIONED

OUR APPROACH

Metro Captions provides services to broadcast networks, businesses and individuals – from pre or post production to completion. We have a team of highly qualified and skilled captionists who take great pride in their work. So what are you waiting for? Allow Metro Captions to assist you to get heard. Read about the types of captioning services we offer.

What is the FCC Saying? Effective as of March 16th 2015 …

Precise Captioning:

Any type of captioning service must include every word that is audible. On top of that, captions must contain proper and exact punctuation in an effort to represent the same message and words being spoken. In addition to the spoken word, captions must also describe other sound effects, noises, and off-screen speakers, so that the experience is the same for all viewers.

From Start to End:

In conjunction with the timeliness of captions, captions must also run from the beginning of a program, and continue on to the absolute end (when possible). This includes factoring in commercial breaks, which can become a true challenge for live (realtime) captioning. This is why the FCC suggests a mutual agreement between programmers and captioners, in an effort to reduce undesired lag time.

Timing is Everything:

Accuracy, of course, is important to captioning. However, so is the timing of the captioning. The FCC states that captions must fall in line with the words and sounds heard on the screen – as close as possible – while also being displayed at a speed that allows viewers to read with ease.

Location. Location. Location.

The FCC is very clear on the importance of placement in terms of captions. Captions should not, at any cost, block important content shown on the screen. Captions also should not overlap one another, and cannot get cut off from the screen. Understanding that important elements of a program can vary from faces to text and beyond, the FCC allows captions to be placed in different areas of the screen, as needed.